To Catch a Thief
by aviatrix8
Summary: Matthew interrogates the tactician, late one night... Which leads to a friendship, of sorts. Incomplete.
1. Recognizing One's Own

Copyright, Aviatrix8, 2004. Fire Emblem and all related characters are property of Nintendo et al., and are used without permission.  
  
I came up with this idea after reading a couple of Matthew stories... It starts just before (what I believe is) Chapter 14 of Hector's route...  
  
&&&  
  
Fire Emblem fanfic:  
  
"To Catch a Thief"  
  
by Avi  
  
Chapter 1: Recognizing One's Own  
  
The tactician of Lord Eliwood's army wearily made her way across the darkened encampment, towards her tent. With the new addition of the merchant Merlinus into their fold, it had been quite a chore for everyone to decide what equipment they wanted to put in storage, and which they wanted to keep... And of course, she was forced to oversee it all. It had been well past midnight before everyone was satisfied with the overall arrangements.  
  
The young woman rubbed the area between her brows, deep in thought... She mentally reminded herself to ask Lord Eliwood to stop by a town, when they got the chance... She really needed to buy some new maps, now that the army was heading towards Laus. Unfortunately, Merlinus had no maps of Laus in stock, and the only ones she possessed of that area were about twenty years out of date.  
  
As the tactician finally reached her tent, she heaved a sigh of relief. Perhaps she could finally get a bit of rest, before the next crisis arose...  
  
The young woman opened the tent flap, stepped inside... And paused. She could sense someone was in here, although she felt no immediate danger... She squinted curiously at the darkness within. After a moment, she thought she could make out a sillouette standing at the back of the tent, just barely out of her sight... Her brow wrinkled in recognition.  
  
"...Matthew?" she called out, tentatively. "Is that you?"  
  
There was a pause, then the sound of a match striking a rough surface. The flame illuminated the features of its owner briefly, then lit the oil lamp he held, which shed its light across the tent... As the young thief blew the match out, he then offered the girl an enigmatic smile, causing the latter to place a hand to her chest, in relief.  
  
"Matthew... You nearly scared the living daylights out of me." The tactician's brow then wrinkled in thought. "Say... What are you doing in here, anyways?" The thief shrugged carelessly.  
  
"Just waiting for you to return to your tent... I'm sorry if I startled you." At this, the young woman gave him a sidelong glance.  
  
"Oh... I'm sure." The thief continued to speak, ignoring the ironic tone in her voice.  
  
"You know, I'm impressed, young miss. Not many people would've known I was in here." The tactician shrugged in reponse.  
  
"I've always had good night vision... Call it a knack, I guess."  
  
While she said this, Matthew had walked over to a camp desk upon which maps were strewn across, and placed the oil lamp he held on it... He then absentmindedly ran his fingers across the desk's surface.  
  
"Yes, that is an interesting talent, isn't it...?" he mused, almost to himself. Then he stepped back into the shadows of the tent, and disappeared.  
  
The tactician was half-expecting it when Matthew reappeared right behind her... What she wasn't expecting was him grabbing both of her arms from behind, and twisting them up her back.  
  
"What are you doing?" she gasped out, in shock.  
  
"Just checking something," he replied, in a business-like tone. He then straightened out her right arm, and rolled the sleeve of her robes up to her shoulder.  
  
"Just as I thought," said Matthew triumphantly. As he had pulled back the tactician's voluminous sleeve, it had revealed a dagger sheathed in the inner part of her upper arm. Upon closer inspection, he also recognized an arrangement of leather straps that would allow the dagger to drop down to her hand, with a flick of the wrist.  
  
It was his examination of this mechanism that allowed to the tactician wrest away from the thief's grip, and then glare at him, outraged.  
  
"What's the big idea?" she snapped. The young man crossed his arms before him, and met her gaze steadily.  
  
"I was just wondering why such an obvious non-combatant like yourself is armed." The tactician drew herself up with dignity.  
  
"As a tactician, my profession requires that I wander from place to place, by myself... Surely you realize that a woman who usually travels alone, must be able defend herself, somehow..." The thief raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"That may be true... But you needn't conceal your weapons, should you...? And I know you're carrying more than one... You wear a similar dagger sheath on your left arm, as well... You also carry a third dagger, strapped to your thigh, which can be reached through a false pocket in your skirt." At this, the tactician flushed.  
  
"I'd rather not know how you discovered the location of that weapon..." Matthew cocked his head to one side.  
  
"Actually, I can tell by the way the fabric of your robes fall... Only someone who knows what they're looking for would be able to find it." The tactician fell silent for a moment, then spoke up again.  
  
"So what if I carry concealed weapons? What's the harm in that?" Matthew continued speaking, oblivious to her words.  
  
"I've also noticed how you seem to disappear from the battlefield, while the army is in combat..." The young woman arched an eyebrow at this.  
  
"I'm a tactician, aren't I? I'm supposed keep out of sight, during battle..."  
  
"Yes, but you don't actually leave the battlefield, do you? You just seem to blend into the background, while you give your orders." As the tactician fell silent once again, Matthew began to pace before her.  
  
"Both those things, coupled with the acute night vision which you just demonstrated to me a moment ago, lead me to draw one conclusion... Since all those techniques you use are particular methods that are generally practiced by spies, assassins... Or thieves." The tactician's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Are you implying that I... Am one of those things?" Matthew grinned, though not in amusement.  
  
"Like recognizes like, young miss." The young woman balled her fists.  
  
"How dare you accuse me of being a spy! Haven't I shown my skills in battle? Haven't I guided this army well, so far?"  
  
"That is true... In fact, I might've believed you, because of that... Might've believed that those particular skills you possess were all merely a coincidence... If it wasn't for one thing."  
  
"What's that?" enquired the tactician warily.  
  
Matthew pointed to her sleeves. "The cuffs of your robes."  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"The cloth is a touch heavier than it should be, isn't it? That's because you've got lockpick wires tucked away underneath the seams."  
  
The tactician fingered her sleeves briefly, then dropped to her sides... But the thief's sharp eyes didn't miss the nervous movement. He smiled the smile of the cat that knows he has cornered the mouse.  
  
"Old habits are hard to break, huh?"  
  
"How did you know about the lockpick wires...?" she asked, faintly. The thief shrugged.  
  
"It is part of my profession, young miss. Although I only confirmed my suspicion when I grabbed your arms, just now."  
  
The young woman sank into a nearby chair, as Matthew walked towards the seat behind the camp desk and sat down... He then leaned back, resting his feet upon the desk.  
  
"So... Care to tell me why a thief is running Lord Eliwood's army?" The tactician crossed her arms before her.  
  
"I am no longer a thief, sir. I practice tactics, now... Why should it matter what my former profession was?"  
  
"I make it my business to know these things, young miss... As a spy to House Ostia." The tactician scowled.  
  
"Ah. So Lord Hector put you up to this, did he...?"  
  
"It is in my employer's best interest to know that they have hired a possible spy as a tactician, yes." The young woman bristled.  
  
"You doubt my integrity, after I have aided this army thus far? And you know very well that I helped to restore the Marquess of Caelin's true heir to him, as you might well recall!" Matthew lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"That is true... But that was then, and this is now. For all we know, you might be working by your own agenda, madam. It might've pleased you to aid Caelin back then, and to help us right now, but later... You might show your true colours... And your true master."  
  
"How dare you!"  
  
"Don't try to play high and mighty with me, young miss. You didn't have to hide the fact that you, as you put it, used to be a thief." The young woman gave a him a withering look.  
  
"You know very well that someone like Lord Eliwood would never hire a former thief as a tactician." Matthew looked thoughtful.  
  
"Hmmm... You have a point, there. So, why don't you just tell me why you are no longer a thief? Heck, I might even believe you." The tactician glared at him for a moment, then looked away.  
  
"If it will get you off my back..." She sighed. "Very well. I will tell you about my past." She leaned back in her seat, and met Matthew's gaze.  
  
"I was an orphan. You know the usual sob story... Parents died young, raised in an orphanage, not enough to eat... The whole bit. So, as children, my brother and I started lifting food and pennies from people, so we wouldn't go hungry." Matthew raised both eyebrows.  
  
"Brother?"  
  
"My twin brother, Mark." She sighed to herself again, and continued. "Anyways, we found that we both had a knack for pickpocketing... I'm ashamed to admit now that we also got a kick out of it, too."  
  
"One fateful day, someone noticed the two of us cutting some merchant's purse... Fortunately for us, though, it was a member of Bern's Guild of Thieves. He recognized our skills, and decided to take us in, for formal training."  
  
"It wasn't a bad life, you know... We certainly ate better than we did at the orphanage, and got paid, as well... Everything was fine, until we both turned fourteen... And the Guild got a new master." The tactician scowled.  
  
"What happened then?" asked Matthew, expectantly.  
  
"My brother and I were hired out by the new guildmaster for what seemed to be a standard jewelry heist, at the time... It was only later that we discovered that we were contracted to kill someone, as well."  
  
"In all our years of thievery, my brother and I had never taken a life... And neither of us had ever cared for bloodshed. So as soon we had found out about the new 'arrangements', we left the Guild." Matthew looked surprised.  
  
"You broke your contract?"  
  
"We had to... We had been deceived!" replied the tactician emphatically. "No one had ever said anything about killing anybody at the time!" Realizing that she had raised her voice, she lowered her tone.  
  
"Anyways... As you might've guessed, the Guild was none too pleased about our sudden departure, and sent their people after us, so that we would be 'taken care of'... So my brother and I fled to only place where we were certain they wouldn't be able to follow... The mountains of Bern." Matthew lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"That's a pretty dangerous choice for a hiding place, miss." The young woman nodded.  
  
"We realized that too, but we hardly had any choice at the time... And to make matters worse, we had fled the city in the dead of winter, which made trying to escape through the mountain pass all that more treacherous."  
  
"Our pursuers were nearly upon us, when a fierce snowstorm hit... All of us were caught unawares. Those chasing us managed to escape though... I'm sure they presumed we were killed in the storm." Matthew smiled wryly.  
  
"Obviously, that wasn't the case." The tactician nodded again.  
  
"Fortune must've smiled upon us again, because a hermit living in the mountains found me and my brother half buried in the snow, huddled behind the meager shelter of a giant boulder... Realizing that we were both still alive, he carried us back to his cabin, and was kind enough to nurse us back to health." Matthew sat back in his seat, and looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"A pretty amazing story, miss... But that still doesn't explain where you got your skill in tactics." The tactician cocked her head at him.  
  
"I was getting to that... Have you by chance ever heard of Sir Alexander?" Matthew's brow furrowed in thought.  
  
"Isn't he that master tactician who was knighted for his services to the crown? I thought he was dead or something." The young woman shook her head.  
  
"No, not quite... After retiring from his post, Sir Alexander found that he had quite enough of wars and battles... So he fled to the mountains of Bern for some peace and quiet, and to live the rest of his life in relative obscurity. It was he who discovered me and my brother up in the mountains, and rescued us."  
  
"Sir Alexander had no heirs, and no pupils. He had lived in the mountains for so long that people had forgotten he still existed... He must've felt a need to pass his knowledge on to someone... So, once my brother and I were restored full health, and we told him everything that had happened to us thus far, he offered to teach us his profession... Giving us new identities, and a new lease on life." The tactician shrugged.  
  
"We had nothing to lose at that point, nowhere to go... So, of course we accepted his generous offer. Master Alexander then taught us everything he knew... Geography, history... Anything that we might need to know about the world around us. And he was astonished to discover that we both had an aptitude for tactics... My brother and I were too, for that matter."  
  
"Sir Alexander was a hard master, but kind as well... He became like a father to us..." At this, the tactician trailed off... She then shook her head and continued.  
  
"After four years under his tutelage, Sir Alexander proclaimed that there was nothing more he could teach us... He then sent us out into the world with what remained of his gold, which he claimed he had no use for... So, bidding a sad farewell to our master, my brother and I headed down the other side of the mountain, to find our fortunes seperately." Matthew arched an eyebrow at this.  
  
"Why did you two split up?"  
  
"There's no point in an army hiring two tacticians, is there?" she pointed out. "Besides, we both feared that the Thieves' Guild in Bern might still be looking for us... So, we figured that we'd have less of a chance of being recognized if we went in different directions. I headed north into Sacae, while my brother headed west, towards Lycia... And, well... You know the rest."  
  
"That's when Lady Lyndis found you."  
  
"Correct." Matthew looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"What happened to your brother?" he enquired. At this, the tactician's eyes grew sad and distant.  
  
"I'm... Not sure. I haven't seen him for over a year now... After my contract with Lady Lyndis ended, I started looking for Mark, but I haven't turned up any sign of him yet. Then I signed up with Lord Eliwood... I was rather hoping that I run into my brother while we travel."  
  
Matthew had fallen silent as she spoke, and was now watching the tactician with an unreadable gaze. Noticing this, the girl returned his look wearily.  
  
"You still don't believe me, do you..." she said, in a blunt tone. The thief shrugged.  
  
"You must admit, young miss, that's quite an unbelievable life story you've got there... You've either got to be a pretty good actress to make somebody believe that it's true, or you're actually telling the truth." He then cocked his head to one side.  
  
"And as much as it goes against my better judgement... I think you are telling the truth." The tactician blinked in surprise.  
  
"Matthew... Thank you."  
  
"Aw... Don't get all mushy with me, young miss..." He then gave her a sly smile. "Besides... You didn't think you'd get out of all this so easily, did you?"  
  
The tactician's eyes widened. "You don't mean...?"  
  
Matthew pulled out a scroll from under his cloak, and rolled it out onto the camp desk, before the girl's startled eyes.  
  
"Now, if you'd be kind enough to sign this oathpaper, the Lordships need not learn about your... Ah, additional skills..." She gave him an astonished look.  
  
"You're blackmailing me?"  
  
"Tsk, tsk, young miss... Blackmail is such an ugly word. Let's call it... Insurance against future ills, shall we...?"  
  
The tactician got up and walked over to the desk, then eyed the scroll warily.  
  
"I'm not signing that," she said firmly.  
  
"Now, now, miss... Don't be so difficult." He took a quill from the desk, and placed beside the document. "Just sign on the dotted line, and all will be well--"  
  
His sentence was suddenly cut off, as a dagger sprouted beside his hand, stabbing the scroll right on the dotted line. Matthew blinked. The movement was so quick, that his keen eyes had almost missed it... The tactician had appeared not to have moved from her position, and was still standing before the desk, with her arms folded.  
  
"No."  
  
Then the thief's sharp eyesight caught something else... The dagger currently stuck in the middle of the desk was one he recognized... It was the small silver one with a carnelian set in the pommel, that Leila had given him as a gift. Matthew found himself reaching for its usual hiding place, and then smiled.  
  
"Touche, young miss. I didn't even notice that... And here I thought that you no longer practiced those skills." The tactician shrugged.  
  
"The first lesson in tactics that my master taught me was, 'Never let any skill go to waste.' Besides... What was it you said, Matthew...? 'Old habits are hard to break'?"  
  
"Too true, young miss..." Pulling his dagger out of the desk, he then gave her an impish grin. "You will have to show me those skills again, some time... In private, of course." With those words, a slow smile of understanding spread across the girl's face.  
  
"Of course."  
  
As Matthew headed towards the flap of the tent to leave, the tactician spoke up again.  
  
"Ah, and don't think you can catch me off guard by attacking me in my sleep... I heard what you did to Guy." The thief looked back at her in surprise.  
  
"You know, a real thief wouldn't have warned me," he commented.  
  
"But I am no longer a thief," she replied calmly. "Besides... It was a tactical decision on my part." Matthew gave a short bark of laughter.  
  
"Touche again... Lady Tactician." He gave her a brief ironic salute, and exited the tent.  
  
As Matthew headed back to his own tent to get some sleep, an interesting thought then crossed his mind.  
  
"A thief leading an army..." he mused to himself, and chuckled. "How very amusing indeed..."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
&&&&&  
  
I hope the title didn't give away the premise of this story, but I couldn't think of a better one... (Hope no one was fooled into thinking this was a story about Matthew, rather than a tactician-related one.) I just wanted to try and explain why the tactician seems to disappear from the battlefield, during the game...  
  
I'm not sure why I can't bear to name the tactician, in my stories... (She does have a name I plan to use in this one, though.) I'm also not sure how plausible it is for Matthew and Guy to have a B rank Support this early in the game, but I wanted this story to take place before Lyndis and co. joined up again... Comments and reviews would be appreciated! 


	2. A Dagger in the Dark

Fire Emblem: "To Catch a Thief"  
  
Chapter 2: A Dagger in the Dark  
  
The invasion of Lord Eliwood's company of soldiers into Laus turned out to be successful; there were few injuries among them, and no casualties, either. This was due mostly to the skill of the troops, but partially to the tactician's skill, as well... She managed to plot out their course of action thanks to a brand-new map of the area she purchased, just before they had reached Castle Laus.  
  
However, in the taking of the castle, the lords had learned some vital, if disturbing information about the treacherous Marquess of Laus's whereabouts.  
  
So, Lord Eliwood's troops hurried towards their latest challenge... But as night had fell upon them, they had stopped to set up camp, for the army was still weary from their campaign in Laus.  
  
It was almost midnight now, and all was quiet within the forest of pitched tents... Even the tactician, who was usually up late into the night, poring over battle strategies, was fast asleep in her bed.  
  
Suddenly, from inside her tent, a shadow separated from one of the corners... Slowly, it stealthily headed towards the camp cot, upon which the young woman lay.  
  
As it reached the side of the bed, it looked down silently at her sleeping form... The girl's eyes were closed; her breathing, slow and even. Satisfied, the figure pulled an item out of its cloak... As the dim light that filtered through the cracks of the tent touched it, it glinted off a metallic edge.  
  
The dark figure slowly lowered its dagger, to lay it upon the young woman's throat.  
  
Just when the knife was about to reach its mark, however, the tactician immediately rolled over, causing the blade to stick into her pillow instead... Her assailant leapt back, startled.  
  
Meanwhile, the young woman had rolled off the cot onto the floor, obviously still wide awake. Gripping the bedclothes that were still wrapped around her, she quickly grabbed a sheet, and flung it over her assailant. The dark figure easily swept the fabric away with its dagger, but it was enough of a distraction for the tactician to release her own knives from her arm sheathes.  
  
Noticing his target was now armed, the two opponents eyed each other warily, each waiting for the other to make their move... Then, all of a sudden, they both lunged at each other, weapons outstretched.  
  
It was a silent, vicious struggle... As the two fought, each one found it difficult to get the upper hand in the small, cramped tent, and harder still to keep their footing... And even though each opponent appeared to have excellent night vision, both of them kept on running into objects in the darkness, causing muffled curses from each of them.  
  
Finally, the tactician's assailant seemed to tire of the fight... Unexpectedly, he dove on the young woman, who was caught off guard. The momentum of his leap sent both of them hurtling towards the tactician's camp desk, causing it to overturn with a loud crash...  
  
&&&  
  
Meanwhile, Hector was walking across the darkened encampment, carrying a lantern to guide his way, when suddenly, he heard a loud noise from inside of one of the tents. Curiousity aroused, he ran towards the still-dark tent, recognizing it as the tactician's.  
  
The lord warily opened the flap of the tent, holding the lantern up before him... It shed its light upon an overturned camp desk, pieces of parchment still floating in the air... And to one side, the tactician herself, sitting on the ground, looking rather dishevelled. Realizing this, the young woman stood up, and straightened her nightgown self-consciously.  
  
"What's going on in here?" enquired Hector, warily. The tactician shifted uneasily under the light of the lantern.  
  
"Um... Sorry about the commotion, your Lordship... I was... Er... Looking for one of my maps, just now..." At this, the lord shot her a suspicious look.  
  
"In the dark?" The tactician looked embarassed.  
  
"Uh... I suppose I should've lit a lamp first, before looking for it, huh?" She laughed weakly at this, while Hector stared at her, unconvinced... At last, he sighed.  
  
"Very well. Carry on then..."  
  
He then left the tent, muttering something under his breath about tacticians and their strange habits.  
  
After the young lord's departure, the tactician paused for a moment, to make sure that he was out of earshot... Then she turned to glare at a particularly dark patch of shadow, to one side of her tent.  
  
"Thanks a lot!" she snapped, seemingly to thin air. "What's the big idea, diving at me like that? Now, Lord Hector's going to think I'm crazy or something!"  
  
"He will, if you keep on talking to the dark like this," replied the shadow.  
  
As the young woman continued to glare, a figure stepped out from the darkness, revealing it to be Matthew. He shrugged.  
  
"You know, you could've told Lord Hector that you were fighting off an assailant..." he remarked, in a reasonable tone. The tactician shot the thief a dirty look.  
  
"Maybe I should have! What would his Lordship think, I wonder... You, sneaking into a helpless woman's tent at night, and attacking her in their sleep?" Matthew raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.  
  
"Helpless?" he pointed out.  
  
"Well... Supposedly helpless," she admitted. The thief shrugged again.  
  
"He'd know I was just doing my job... The young master knows I would never attack someone without reason to."  
  
"Really...?" commented the tactician, ironically. "So, is that why you hid away from him, just now...?"  
  
Matthew grinned unabashedly in reply. A sly smile then spread across the young woman's face.  
  
"I wonder if you would feel so lightly about this, if I decided to switch tents with Serra, one night..." she said pointedly. At this, the thief wore a pained expression.  
  
"Now miss, that's just cruel and unusual punishment..." The tactician wagged a finger at him.  
  
"Remember the old saying, 'No honour among thieves'?"  
  
Matthew arched an eyebrow at her. "Even former ones?"  
  
"Especially former ones... Especially if they happen to be tacticians, now."  
  
The young woman then sighed, and sat heavily on her sleeping cot.  
  
"I must confess though, Matthew... I wished you hadn't decided to spar with me, tonight... I really could use the sleep, since we're heading into Caelin tommorrow..." The young thief sat beside her.  
  
"You're worried about Lady Lyndis, aren't you?" he asked quietly. She nodded, a look of worry crossing her face.  
  
"As soon as we heard about the attack on Caelin, I wanted to head straight over there, just like Lord Eliwood did. But I had to insist that we not travel through the night, since the army was still tired from the last battle... As the company's tactician, it was duty to do so." Matthew nodded sympathetically.  
  
"I can understand your concern for our old friends," mused the thief. His expression then turned serious. "However, that doesn't excuse you from sparring with me... Just because you're a tactician now, doesn't mean you couldn't be attacked, as well." The young woman looked at him wearily.  
  
"Who would want to attack me, anyways?" she retorted. "They'd be much more likely to try and attack one of the lords."  
  
"Don't sell yourself so short, miss," warned Matthew, with a frown. "Their Lordships have their vassals to protect them: Lord Eliwood has Marcus and Lowen, Hector has Oswin and myself... Even Lady Lyndis had those two knights of hers, to guard her... You, on the other hand, are relatively unprotected." The tactician raised an eyebrow at his words.  
  
"I can't exactly see Lord Hector trusting his safety and well-being to you, Matthew," she commented. The thief pointedly ignored her remark, and continued.  
  
"You shouldn't grow complacent just because you're a non-combatant now, Lady Tactician... You're just as valuable a member as any soldier in this army... And just as much of a target, as well."  
  
The young woman looked surprised at his words. "Matthew..."  
  
The thief continued to speak seriously. "I realize that you don't care for bloodshed, especially caused by yourself..." He then turned, to stare the tactician directly in the eyes.  
  
"Although you may not want to face this fact, miss... One of these days you're going to have to make the choice of taking a life, to save another... And you'd best be prepared for it."  
  
The thief then stood up and silently left the tent, leaving the young woman to dwell upon his words.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
&&&&&  
  
As you can see, I've decided to add on to this story, since I've come up with ideas on how continue it... (And I did take up Scarabsi's suggestion that I keep the tactician anonymous.) 


	3. Friends and Foes

Fire Emblem: "To Catch a Thief"  
  
Chapter 3: Friends and Foes  
  
So, the next morning (or more precisely, just before dawn), Lord Eliwood had the army set off for Caelin, out of concern for Lady Lyndis and her companions.  
  
They were just approaching the now-besieged Castle Caelin, when the army ran unexpectedly into one of Lady Lyndis's old friends... It turned out to be the pegasus knight, Florina, who had dared flying past enemy archers to find help for her comrades.  
  
Suddenly, the female knight lost her balance, trying to dodge unfriendly fire. Fortunately, something managed to to break her fall... Unfortunately, Florina had fallen upon Lord Hector, pegasus and all. The tactician couldn't help noticing that Matthew had nearly burst out laughing at this... She might've found it funny as well, if she hadn't been concerned about her old friends.  
  
After the embarassed pegasus knight had been revived, Florina quickly updated the two lords about what was happening in Caelin...  
  
&&&  
  
It was another long day of combat for the army... The tactician had to position the troops so that they could recoinnoiter with Lady Lyndis and her companions; they had been hiding in the woods, waiting for a chance to reclaim the castle. With the aid of a telescope, the tactician managed to locate the positions of her former comrades, and directed the army accordingly.  
  
Still, this was no easy task... The heavily wooded terrain made it difficult for those mounted on horseback to move forward, though it provided plenty of cover from enemy forces.  
  
But at long last, the army managed to fight their way through enemy troops... And Lord Eliwood and the tactician found themselves reunited with old friends.  
  
To the surprise of everyone in Lord Eliwood's company, the tactician greeted each of her former travelling companions with a hug; from the shy Florina, to Lady Lyndis herself. Kent returned the tactician's greeting gingerly, with some embarassment, while Sain hugged her for so long, that the young woman actually had to threaten to hit the knight in the one place where his armour didn't protect him; only then did he let go, with great reluctance.  
  
"I'm pleased to see you are well, Lady Tactician," said Lyn, who had smiled at the tactician's greeting. "I had hoped that that our paths would cross again."  
  
"I hoped so, as well," replied the tactician. "Though it is a pity it is during such dire circumstances." At this, Lady Lyndis's expression clouded.  
  
"That is true... But I am glad to have your support... And Lord Eliwood's, as well."  
  
&&&  
  
"You looked awfully glad to see them," Matthew later observed. As the army prepared to take back Castle Caelin, he had taken a moment aside to speak to the tactician.  
  
"I was glad to see them," she admitted, smiling quietly to herself. "To be honest, they're the first friends I've had that were around my own age... Apart from my brother, of course."  
  
"Sounds like you haven't hung around many young people," remarked the thief.  
  
The young woman shook her head. "Nope."  
  
"What about the Thieves' Guild?" asked Matthew. "Surely there were some people over there that were your age..."  
  
"Afraid not. We were the first apprentices trained there in a long time... Besides, the first thing we were taught there, was to look out only for ourselves... It really didn't allow for any lasting friendships."  
  
"Sounds rough," he commented.  
  
The tactician shrugged. "We managed." Matthew tactfully decided to change the subject.  
  
"You know, it's strange... When I ran into you again, young miss, you didn't seem half as pleased to see me, as you did Lady Lyndis," said the thief, pretending to sound hurt. At this, the young woman gave him a wry grin.  
  
"Nobody's ever glad to see a thief, Matthew."  
  
"If they can see one, then he's not doing his job right," retorted the young man.  
  
"Speaking of which... Don't you have some work to do...?" said the tactician pointedly. "We might need your lockpicking skills inside the castle, so you'd better get over there right away." Matthew heaved a great sigh.  
  
"A thief's work is never done... Oh, why must I always be doomed to follow the whims of others...?" The young woman rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh, I don't know... Because they pay you?" Matthew's eyes lit up.  
  
"Ah... The best reason of all. All the more reason to get going!"  
  
As the thief hurried off, the tactician shook her head at the young man's irrepressible attitude.  
  
&&&  
  
With the aid of Lord Eliwood's army (and a bit of help from Matthew's thieving abilities), Lady Lyndis and her cohorts managed to invade Castle Caelin, reclaiming it for themselves once more.  
  
After defeating their foes, Lyn quickly searched the castle for her grandfather, the Marquess of Caelin, out of concern for his safety... And in doing so, the lords discovered they had a secret ally.  
  
It was sometime later when the three lords headed down the hallways of the castle, having just finished a briefing with the Ostian spy, Leila... Behind them, trailed the tactician, trying to remember if she had any maps of the Port of Badon. Suddenly, a figure slipped out of the shadows and appeared by her side.  
  
"Hey, young miss!" said Matthew pleasantly. The tactician whirled around.  
  
"Matthew!" she replied, startled, and annoyed that she was so; the thief's habit of popping out when she least expected it, was getting on her nerves.  
  
"Where have you been hiding?" the young woman asked. "I would've thought you wanted to listen in on the briefing with Leila, since she is one of Ostia's spies..."  
  
"I just wanted a quick word with Leila alone," he answered easily.  
Matthew's tone then turned serious. "By the way, there's something I want to ask you about the briefing..."  
  
The tactician grinned wryly. "I should've known you were listening on us," she commented.  
  
"Of course I was," replied Matthew airily. "Your powers of observation must be failing you, young miss..."  
  
"They haven't failed me," she retorted. "I was just absorbed in what Leila had to say."  
  
"Yes, about that..." began the thief, quietly. "You're from Bern, Lady Tactician... Have you ever heard of this Black Fang?" The young woman's expression sobered, and she nodded.  
  
"Yes, I've heard of the Black Fang, before..." she said, slowly. "Actually, their Guild of Assassins and the Thieves' Guild in Bern used to be rivals, of sorts... When I used to be... With the guild, we generally kept out of the Black Fang's way... But even though we didn't want to get on their bad side, our guild still considered them to be a bunch of do-gooders... Leila's information was quite accurate on that point." Matthew nodded.  
  
"But this change in their policy is news to me," mused the tactician. "Granted, I haven't been in Bern for a while, but... Taking any target, just for the money? It sort of reminds me of what happened to my own guild, before everything went bad..."  
She sighed heavily.  
  
"So... You know nothing else about them?" insisted Matthew.  
  
"Afraid not," replied the young woman, coming back to herself. "I'm serious!" she added, as he shot her a penetrating look. "The Black Fang was pretty secretive... Leila's already mentioned all the information I knew." As the thief looked resigned, the tactician then gave him a speculative gaze.  
  
"Now that I've answered your question, do you mind if I ask you one, as well?" she enquired politely.  
  
"As long as it isn't about my current debts," answered the young man cheerfully.  
  
"I was meaning to ask you about Leila," began the tactician, thoughtfully. The thief regarded her curiously.  
  
"What about her?" asked Matthew, in a guarded tone.  
  
"It's just that..." She paused for a moment, then continued. "Well... It's just that I've never met a female spy before..." The thief relaxed a bit.  
  
"If it comes to that, I've never seen a female tactician before," commented Matthew, slyly.  
  
"Then again," she continued, ignoring the thief's remark, "I've never even met a spy, until I ran into you, Matthew."  
  
"Hey, even thieves can have useful positions in society," the young man pointed out. "I'm doing a respectable job for the community." The tactician lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"You? Respectable?" she remarked. "I find that very hard to believe..."  
  
"Sad, but true, young miss," sighed the thief. The young woman rolled her eyes, in reply... Then, a thought occurred to her.  
  
"Leila is very beautiful..." began the tactician, slowly. "I assume you two know each other?" she enquired. Matthew shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"We've worked together before," he replied, perhaps a little too casually. The young woman gave a thief a sidelong glance.  
  
"And... Are you two... Uh...?" she asked tentatively. Matthew grinned impishly at her.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know...?" The tactician looked somewhat embarassed.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry..."  
  
"Sure, you didn't..." teased the thief, nudging her playfully. "I've noticed your matchmaker tendencies, Lady Tactician." The young woman flushed.  
  
"Is it that obvious...?"  
  
"Not really," admitted Matthew. "But you're awfully fond of pairing off male and female soldiers, on the battlefield." The tactician avoided his gaze.  
  
"Yeah, well... It's not like I planned on matching you up with anyone, Matthew," she muttered, under her breath. The thief sighed theatrically.  
  
"That's okay... I understand if you're a tad jealous, having fallen for my ample charms..."  
  
At this, the tactician raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"  
  
The thief then placed a hand to his forehead dramatically.  
  
"But alas, fair maiden, it was never meant to be..." The young woman crossed her arms before her.  
  
"Matthew, that is the most horrible impression of Sain I have ever seen... And if you think I would ever even consider falling for you, you are sadly mistak--"  
  
The tactician turned to Matthew, to find that she was conversing with empty air. The young woman found herself shaking her head once again, at the expense of the thief.  
  
"That boy..." she sighed, in exasperation. "I swear, between him, Lord Hector and Serra, I'm beginning to wonder if all Ostians are so infuriating..."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
&&&&&  
  
I must confess... I think it might take a while for me to complete the next chapter, since I believe that'll be one of the hardest sections for me to write...  
  
Anyways... I hope you've the enjoyed the story so far! 


End file.
